As I’ve grown into a full-fledged writer and theologian, such explanations seem to come at a record pace. My very existence as a woman working within the theological realm seems to be a beacon for churchy men who’ve never actually taken a theology class to explain the ins and outs of my own theology to me. About once a day, I get a man replying to me on a social media channel explaining the very thing I just said. These comments don’t actually add to the conversation – they’re more like a very annoying parrot repeating my own words back to me in a loud squawk.

The prevailing whiteness of such critique of the “toxic” social media battles cannot be ignored – and it cannot be wiped away with an acknowledgement that the person writing is white. When discussing any kind of interpersonal conflict within social justice issues, the race and the social location of each participant must be taken into perspective. But when begging for grace, progressives, and progressive Christians, in particular, find themselves begging for grace for those critiqued as opposed to grace for those hurt by the original offense. The re-centering of the privileged is quick and subtle.